The chapters in this volume offer portraits of youth's participation in community and civic activities in a range of social–historical contexts. The fresh empirical data presented in these chapters indicate that youth's participation in society varies considerably across time and location. In each context, youth are characterized as active decision makers seeking to understand and find their place in the society in which they were born. But youth do not seek simply to fit themselves within the status quo. As several chapters show, youth in many countries play pivotal roles in challenging the existing order and working to improve social conditions.

In this concluding chapter, we identify recurring themes that transcend the varying contexts presented in this volume. Our purpose is to illustrate the emergence of a more adequate approach to political socialization that goes beyond the simplicity of the internalization model and that accounts for human development occurring within social contexts often filled with ambiguous and conflicting perspectives. Our challenge is to understand how youth come to terms with the complexity of society and its political order and also, ideally, come to believe that they can play a role in shaping its future.

The presentation of themes begins with the concern expressed in many countries that contemporary youth are disconnected from political processes and lack a sense of social responsibility. From here, we tie together findings that present adolescents as active participants in figuring out the workings of society and that pertain to the role of social–historical opportunity in this process, particularly as it is instantiated through adolescents’ social relationships with community organizations, family, and friends.